Is Discount Tire Strict About Speed Ratings?

[SubLGT]

At the DT website is this statement:

"We do not recommend downgrading the speed rating of your tires. This may result in poor handling and unpredictable steering. However, if you want better cornering response, there is no problem installing a higher speed rated tire on your vehicle."

In your experience buying tires at a DT store, have they refused to sell you a set of tires one step lower in speed rating than your OE tires? Or have they just recommended you not go lower, and then sell you the tires anyway?

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoSpeedRating.dos

 

[simple_gifts]

That is a legal position, not a technical one IMHO.

 

[daves87rs]

Yes.

 

[dparm]

It will depend on the exact location you visit, but I find them to be pretty strict about that sort of thing overall. They would be liable if you had an accident due to the wrong tire being installed.

DT has deep pockets and lawyers/insurance companies would have a field day with that.

 

[steveh]

I was told at Walmart, I could bring in the rims off the car and they could mount tires with a lower speed rating.

 

[dparm]

BTW, when getting winter tires for my old S4, they used phrases like "no, that won't work, it's too low of a speed rating."

 

[stephen9666]

There are other threads on the speed rating topic. I would encourage you to search them out, as there's some interesting info in them.

The OE tires on my Sonata were V rated, which is way overkill, IMO. Nothing in the manual said V rated tires were required when you replaced the tires. I ordered T rated tires online and had them installed at a local shop. I was ready to argue with them because nothing with the vehicle says V rated replacement tires are required.

Some people claim shops selling tires want to match the speed rating because of liability. Other people believe it's about pressuring customers into buying more expensive tires with higher speed ratings.

In this thread, a member claims Tire Rack told him Hyundai has approved lower speed rated tires than the OE tires.

Taken from this thread:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2438148&page=1


Quote:
I called Tire Rack yesterday and was fortunate to actually
speak to one of the top track testers at their Indiania facility
and test track.

Several area tire shops in my area have told me DO NOT ever
drop a speed ratings when replacing tires.

Tire Rack tells me this is totally untrue. Hes says although
this may have agreed with that in 1988, the tolerances of today's
tire speed ratings is so tight that unless you are on a racetrack, you will NOT notice any difference in dropping
from a H Rated to a T Rated for the average to conservative
driver.

I own a 2006 Hyundai Elantra GLS sedan and am looking to
replace my worn Michelin H rated tires with the Continental
ProContact EcoPus tire. This tire actually won 1st place in
Tire Rack's test of 4 Low Rolling Resistance tires, with
the best for handling and wet traction.

Tire Rack tells me they have a contact with Hyundai and
Hyundai HAS approved Tire Rack to sell H or even S Rated
tires on my Elantra.

 

[Paul3637]

The discount tire in Pensacola had no trouble selling me an H rated Michelin tire (to replace an unrepairable puncture) to match my other H rateds on my 09 V6 Camry.

The speed rating thing is [censored] since the industry standards are not enforced. My H rated Michelin Primacys handle WAY better than a V rated Bridgestone Turanzas that came on the car. More important is quality of the individual tire.

Funny ..... ALL 2011 Camrys came OEM with V rates ... including the I4's. For 2012 a Camry I4 LE comes S rated tires. That same car with the upgraded trim line of the XLE comeswith V rated tires.

So does that mean adding nicer seats and wood grain trim requires an upgrade in tires..?

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: dparm
It will depend on the exact location you visit, but I find them to be pretty strict about that sort of thing overall. .............


I get the impression that DT gives their individual store owners the final say on whether or not lower speed rated tires will be sold. After all, in their statement I posted at the top of this thread, DT does not say they will refuse to install such tires, only that they do not recommend it.

 

[Kestas]

I find my local Costco adheres to the proper speed rating. I don't challenge them though.

Why should a tire dealer second-guess a manufacturer's requirement? I would expect them to insist on installing the proper speed rated tires.

 

[Papa Bear]

I can take my "premium fuel" vehicle to a Shell gas bar and put regular gas in it.
I can replace the original brakes with any kind of rotor/pad combo I want.
I can lower/raise the vehicle and install the shocks/struts of my choosing.

Why can't I get the tires I want ??!!

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Kestas

Why should a tire dealer second-guess a manufacturer's requirement? I would expect them to insist on installing the proper speed rated tires.


Because sometimes it's not a "requirement." My Hyundai didn't say anywhere in the literature that V rated replacement tires were required. It doesn't even mention speed ratings in the manual that I could find.

If the manual says "Use (insert rating) or higher speed-rated tires only," then that's a different situation.

 

[SubLGT]

When I contacted Michelin about using the V or W rated Michelin tire on my Subaru Legacy, which originally came with Z rated tires, they not surprisingly told me to buy the W rated tire.

 

[Sayjac]

Not in my experience. First tire they ever sold me in mid 2000's was a then S rated Yoko Avid Touring, for an 01 Civic. Civic is oem H rated, but the Avid Touring was an excellent value priced performer with 68k total miles before buying new. Liked them so much, purchased a second set now Avid Touring 'S' and T rated, for the same vehicle.

 

[eljefino]

I worked at a tire store whose top corporate managers mulled it over and will sell any cheapo speed rated tire to anyone, anytime, then issued a memo clarifying this (lack of) position.

They were of course strict about load rating. Had idiot come in with some used P-something-or-others for a raggedy 3/4 ton truck, 108 rating instead of 118. Showed him the door.

 

[CapriRacer]

Allow me to address both the legal liability issue and the technical issue - starting with this:
Quote:
I......Tire Rack tells me this is totally untrue. He says although this may have agreed with that in 1988.....
???????? Why 1988?? What happened then?
Quote:
........ the tolerances of today's tire speed ratings is so tight.....
No, they're not!!! It's been the same since the test was created.
Quote:
....... that unless you are on a racetrack, you will NOT notice any difference in droppingfrom a H Rated to a T Rated for the average to conservative driver........


- and that, folks, is the kind of mis-information that I have to deal with on a regular basis.

The "feel" between tires is highly variable. This is independent of the speed rating. HOWEVER, there is a trend that higher speed rated tires are crisper handling, but ride worse. But there are enough exceptions that you can't really call this a "rule".

So, of course, the average driver won't notice. But the issue is one of safety. Higher speed rated tires are less likely to fail, because they have more built in capability. - and this is where the legal thing steps in.

If a tire dealer installs a tire with a lower speed rating, then the tire dealer takes on the legal liability if something bad happens. While it is rare, it does happen and could be quite costly for a tire dealer.

An interesting quirk on this is that the courts have ruled that a person can NOT sign away their responsibilities under the law - and one of those responsibilities is to provide products that are "safe". Signing a waiver isn't a way around this problem.

So it is understandable that some dealers would chose not to mount lower speed rated tires.

But there is a way around this - install them yourself.

- and returning to the technical side of things: While failures are known in S and T speed rated tires, it is virtaully unknown in H and higher. This is because of the cap ply needed to pass an H speed test.

So my recommendation is to use an H speed rated tire at a minimum. There are enough options available in H speed rating that you ought to be able to find something suitable.

 

[Papa Bear]

Capri ... why do you keep confusing us with the facts ??

Thanks for your input.

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: CapriRacer
...........But there is a way around this - install them yourself............


You're not serious about this are you? 99.9% of us don't have a tire mounting machine in our garages.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: CapriRacer
...........But there is a way around this - install them yourself............


You're not serious about this are you? 99.9% of us don't have a tire mounting machine in our garages.


He is serious. Or possibly if you bring wheels in with no manufacturer markings and they just write the invoice up as "no vehicle loose wheels" there would be less liability.

Even so, we don't mess around with speed ratings at my work. Too much to lose from a lawsuit to be worth it.

 

[Kestas]

SubLGT, yes, it was a serious suggestion. Many of us here on BITOG - myself included - have the $40 Harbor Freight tire changer and mount our own tires.